The Cultural Ocean

Cultural diversity affects our lives in countless ways every day – as a source of identity, of conflict and crisis, as a context for civil discourse, community, and spiritual development. It is the outcome of thousands of years of contact among people of different customs, beliefs and ways of life, and of our personal and communal interactions with nature. The ocean has played a powerful role in this process throughout time—sustaining us, connecting us, and shaping us as nations, tribes, and individuals.

WorldOceanObservatory.org/cultural-ocean links to a variety of demonstrations of this social perspective. It offers a window into the richness and expansiveness of the cultural ocean. The World Ocean Observatory is always interested in learning of additional examples of cultural connections to the sea; please consider submitting an idea. Be in touch!